Work bench system with quickdisconnect legs



Jan. 16, 1962 P. w. R. JOHNSON WORK BENCH SYSTEM WITH QUICK-DISCONNECTLEGS Filed Jan. 12, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 R. 0 N m H mm A w m h I R W m.T E P m m M w A II illrrullllil f wllll 1: i- FL": 10 1 4 i: F wll lllll lll u-lllm u 4 2 I M 4 m I L 0281x141 at.

ATTORNEY Jan. 16, 1962 P. w. R. JOHNSON 3,

WORK BENCH SYSTEM WITH QUICK-DISCONNECT LEGS Filed Jan. 12, 1959 2Sheets-Sheet 2 34 34 2 1 y/w/ W 2o 26 ATTORN Patented Jan. 16, 19623,017,231 WORK BENCH SYSTEM WITH QUICK- DEQQNNEQT LEGS Peter W. R.Johnson, Wilton, Conn, assignor to Johnson Products Incorporated,Wilton, Conn, a corporation of Connecticut Filed Jan. 12, 19 59, Ser.No. 786,182 4 Claims. (Cl. 311-110) This invention relates to a workbench system and more particularly to a work bench frame and legarrangement whereby additional bench units may be added or deleted atwill.

An object of the present invention is to provide a leg structureincorporating means for easily, rapidly and positively connecting anddetaching a leg to a frame support for the work top without the use ofnuts, bolts, or screws and the like.

Another object of the present invention is the incorporation of aservice panel between back-to-back work bench units, the structure ofwhich contemplates the elimination of the rear set of legs in both workbench units, the service panel functioning as a common shelf and serviceduct. In addition, the present work bench system may be arranged in asingle line.-

A further object of the present invention is to provide service panelsthat may extend upwardly and function additionally as stanchions forlight supports or as shelves, or may extend downwardly in the rear ofthe work bench units for enclosing wiring and piping.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a work benchsystem in which the work bench units may be joined by inserts, makingthe arrangement easily separable.

In addtion, all the components of the work bench system areinterchangeable.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a simplifiedclamp for removably securing the work bench top to the work bench framestructure.

Another object of the present invention is the utilization of commonlatch rods in order to simply and rapidly connect adjoining work benchframes automatically into a multiple unit construction.

Another object of the present invention is to permit automatic alignmentof side-by-side bench units as well as automatically adjusting theheight of adjacent bench units to be uniform.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a work benchsystem which incorporates quick-change work tops, a rigid frame and legassembly which eliminates the necessity for sway braces in theconstruction, and a general design which permits flexibility in bencharrangement.

The above and other features, objects and advantages of the presentinvention will be fully understood from the following descriptionconsidered in connection with the accompanying illustrative drawings.

FIG. 1 is a side elevation view of a back-toback work bench systemconstructed in accordance with the teachings of my invention,

FIG. 2 is a partial side elevation view of my bench unit together withthe device for securing the work bench top to the frame,

FIG. 3 is a partial perspective view of the leg, leg seat and frameasembly and cam lock contructed in accordance with my invention,

FIG. 4 is another partial perspective view similar to FIG. 3 in whichthe leg serves as a common leg for side-by-side work bench units,

FIG. 5 is a side elevation View of a work bench unit provided with anovel back plate service duct and,

FIG. 6 is a partial side-elevation view thereof in an arrangementsimilar to FIG. 4 in which there is illustrated a common leg forside-by-side work bench units.

Referring now to the drawings, the work bench system constructed inaccordance with the present invention comprises bench units referred togenerally by the numeral 10 and having legs 12 selectively supporting aframe 14 which is preferably rectangular in shape. An illustration of awork bench supporting frame similar to the type herein contemplated isdisclosed in my copending patent application, U.S. Serial No. 713,260filed on February 4, 1958, and now US. Patent No. 2,901,301 issuedAugust 25, 1959. The legs 12 have floor-engaging feet 14 that are of thelevelling type well known in the art. The upper end of each leg 12 isgenerally flared outward to a cone-shaped support 16 for the relativelyflat leg seats 18 secured to the underside of the frame 14, preferablyat the four corners thereof. Leg seat 18 is clearly seen attached to ahat-shaped channel member 20 of the frame 14 and is provided with twoelongated V-shaped grooves or troughs 22 and 24. The grooves 22 and 24in the preferred embodiment of the invention extend the entire length ofthe leg seat 18. Although only one groove 22 is necessary in the legseat 18, the additional groove 24 in the leg seat increases the rigidityof the structure. The cone-shaped support 16 is provided with ahook-shaped cam lock element 26 which can be turned from the unlockedposition shown in FIG. 4 to the locked position illustrated in FIG. 5 byinserting the hole 27 of the support 16 a hex wrench 28 shown in dottedlines and rotating the same in the direction of the arrow A. The lockingof the leg seat 18 and its frame 14 to a leg 12 is accomplished as shownin FIG. 3 by inserting a bar or latch rod 30 in groove 22 of the legseat 18. Thus, the leg seat and its attached frame are drawn together inan extremely sturdy assembly by the cam lock 26 gripping bar 30 whicheliminates the need for sway braces of any other supporting orreinforcing structure. However, the legs 12 may be rapidly and easilydetached from the frame 14 resulting in an easily transportable knockeddown" arrangement. It should be noted that the seating of leg seat 18 onconeshaped support 16 is positive due to the fact that the upstandingwalls of the support are indented with V notches 32 which arecomplementary with the V-shaped groove 22 of leg seat 18. The cam lockelement 28 may be inserted through opening 32 in order to lock the leg12 to frame 14 in the situation where a fourcorner leg support of theframe is desired as illustrated in FIG. 3. However, if it is desired touse a common leg 12 for two adjoining sid-by-side frame units 14 as seenin FIG. 4 and 6 the cam lock 26 is projected between two adjacenthat-shaped channel members 20. Of course, a bar 30 is inserted in thealigned grooves 22 of the adjoining frame units together on the commonsupporting leg.

A manual means for rapidly and easily securing a work bench top 34 toits corresponding frame unit 14 is shown in FIG. 2 and includes a stud36 affixed preferably by means of a threaded nut 38 to the leg seat 18.Pivoted to the top of stud 36 is a lever arm 40, while adjacent to thetop of the stud is a collar member 42. A compression spring 44 surroundsthe stud 38 and is contained in the interior of the work bench top 34.The lever arm 40 may be pivoted to secure and release the work bench top34 from the frame 14. The means for securing the work bench top 34 toframe unit 14 is adjustable for different thickness of work bench topsby screwing in or out the stud 36 in nut 38 thereby effectivelylengthening or shortening the stud 36.

A back-to-back bench arrangement is shown in FIG. 1. In thisarrangement, the rear legs 12 drawn in dotted lines may be eliminatedsince the bench structure is adequate- 1y rigid without median or middlelegs. This arrangement, of course, reduces the overall cost of theassembly as well as results in better housekeeping possibilities. Aservice duct between the back-to-back bench units may take a variety offorms. One form may be an inverted U-shaped channel 46 which also may beturned around in an opposite position as shown in dotted lines inFIG. 1. The U-shaped channel service duct 46 may be rem'ovably affixedto back-to-back bench units by means of a connecting channel section 48which is of the appropriate dimension and configuration to slidably fitin hat-shaped channel members 20 and through rectangular shaped openings'50 in the U-shaped channel service duct 46. Piping and wiring may thenbe drawn through duct 46 and appropriate power and service outlets '(notshown) placed where desired along the service panel. It should beapparent that, if necessary, stanchions (not shown) may extendvertically from the service duct 46 in order to provide lightingfixtures for each work-bench station, or shelves.

An L-shaped service duct 52 for a work bench unit as shown in FIG. 5,has a part 54 which is insertable into the hat-sharped channel element20 of the frame 14 "and a catch 56 which hooks over a depending flange58 of a leg seat 18. In this manner, the service duct 52 may be easilyand rapidly inserted in and withdrawn from the frame of the work benchunit.

While I have shown and described the preferred em- 'bodiment of myinvention, it will be understood that the latter may be embodiedotherwise than as herein specifically illustrated or described and thatin the illustrated embodiment certain changes in the details ofconstruc* tion and in the arrangement of parts may be made withoutdeparting from the underlying idea or principle of the invention withinthe scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A work bench frame structure comprising a frame, a plurality of legseats secured at selected locations on the underside of said frame, eachleg seat having a longitudinal groove therein, an element in saidgroove, a plurality of legs corresponding to the number of leg seats, apivotally mounted cam in the top of said leg adjacent to said frame forreleasably engaging said element in said groove to thereby securelyfasten said leg to said frame.

2. A work bench frame structure comprising a frame,

a plurality of leg seats secured at selected locations on the undersideof said frame, each seat having a longitudinal V-shaped groove therein,a rod in said groove, a plurality of legs corresponding to the number ofleg seats, a pivotally mounted hook-shaped cam in said leg adjacent tosaid frame for releasably engaging said rod in said groove to therebysecurely fasten said leg to said frame.

3. A work bench frame structure comprising a frame, a plurality of legseats secured at selected locations on the underside of said frame, eachseat having a longitudinal V-shaped trough therein, a rod in saidtrough, a plurality of legs corresponding to the number of leg seats, apivotally mounted hook-shaped cam in said leg adjacent to said frame forreleasably engaging said rod in said trough to thereby securely fasensaid leg to said frame, and each of said legs having a flared topportion provided with V-shaped grooves therein complementary to andreceiving the V-shaped trough of said adjacent leg seat.

4. A work bench frame structure comprising a frame, a plurality of legseats secured at selected locations on the underside of said frame, eachleg seat being a relatively flat plate provided with an elongated troughthere- .in, an element in said trough, a plurality of legs correspondingto the number of leg seats, a pivotally mounted cam in the top of eachof said legs adjacent to said frame, and an opening in said trough forthe insertion therethrough of said cam for releasably engaging saidelement in said trough to thereby securely fasten said leg to saidframe.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,689,645 Turk Oct. 30, 1928 1,784,726 Hallowell Dec. 9, 1930 1,797,717Coates Mar. 24, 1931 2,596,663 Duffy May 13, 1952 2,597,166 Murry May20, 1952 2,605,150 Cohen July 29, 1952 2,609,264 Poe Sept. 2, 19522,643,927 Molla June 30, 1953 2,694,609 Traflord Nov. 16, 1954 2,731,316Cohen Jan. 17, 1956 2,799,549 Luxford July 16, 1957

